God commands us to “serve one another humbly in love” (Gal. 5:13) and to “serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people” (Eph. 6:7). He has also given spiritual gifts for effective service. Since serving obviously isn’t optional for believers, it would seem Bible teachers should encourage serving. That can happen through lessons specifically about serving but also as an application to other lessons. When teaching about serving, Bible teachers need to keep the following objectives in mind.
What to Remember When Teaching About Serving
Do teach serving as the logical response to our great and holy God.
When faced with the holiness of God, the prophet Isaiah realized how far short he came and said, “Woe to me! … I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty” (Isa. 6:1-5). A heavenly being touched his lips with a hot coal and announced, “your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for” (Isa. 6:6-7). When God asked for someone to serve, Isaiah, without hesitation, volunteered, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isa. 6:8)
Likewise, when we also grasp the extent of God’s mercy and grace in our lives, offering ourselves to Him to be used by Him, only seems reasonable. — Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. (Rom. 12:1)
- Guard against teaching on this topic as though it’s merely a Christian duty. Rather, stress the privilege of giving back, through service, to a God who has been so merciful to us. He deserves more than we could ever offer.
Don’t give the impression that we serve in our own strength.
As mentioned, God empowers us to serve through the spiritual gifts He imparts. Given by the Holy Spirit, according to God’s grace and not our merit, we have no excuse for serving in our own strength. — His diving power has given us EVERYTHING we need … (2 Pet. 1:3) — Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Pet. 4:10-11)
- When teaching about serving, guard against giving the impression it’s all about what we do. Stress the need to trust God to work in and through us.
For More: Resources on Helping Students Serve